Clean-cut
by Sanauria Maldhun
Summary: Turning into a kid is not something Tsuna is used to, but he's gone through enough in his life to take it in stride. Except he's the Neo Vongola Primo now and his predicament does little to help. Post manga. R27. Drama, Romance, Humor.
1. Chapter 1

**So, R27! :D This fic is held years after the manga, and Reborn's age is 27. Tsuna's 24.**

 **On with it now!**

* * *

The thing which propels into his room, conveniently shattering the glass, is shaped vaguely like a torpedo. Or a missile, but that's really not of importance. What _is_ of importance, however, is the fact that his Intuition hadn't bothered to ring the entire time which is, considering past experiences, a very big surprise. Tsuna barely has time to duck as the missile/torpedo—which, on further last second hasty inspection, isn't as big as a torpedo/missile should be—clashes with his office table which is—thankfully, for _once—_ devoid of paperwork.

The feeling of gratification doesn't last as long as it should have under normal circumstances; the pain which explodes throughout his entire body freaking _hurts._ Which is what pain is _supposed_ to do, Tsuna will admit sometime in the future, but that's beside the point. The _point_ is that Tsuna has never felt pain quite like this, and he _has_ felt varying degrees of pain, what with having his right arm being cut off that one time thanks to an enemy Famiglia, only to be reattached by Ryohei and Shamal and also having stubbed his toe more than once.

But still. He has never felt _anything_ quite like the pain he is feeling now.

' _My body is crumpling,'_ he thinks, a little desperately, eyes fixed involuntarily on greenish smoke. He can't scream even though he wants to: he doesn't have a voice. It feels as if his bones are shriveling up, muscles being pulled taut, yet wrenched and squeezed at the same time. His head hurts, so do his eyes, his lips, his ears, his nose—his fingers curl backwards and he hears the familiar sounds of bones cracking.

And as abruptly as that, the pain stops. The abruptness makes him pause and stare at the ceiling with something akin to horror and fascination. And then he gets up without preamble; pain—light yet fucking _painful_ —runs through his veins, bones, muscles and ligaments _yet again_ , so he can't help but croak:

"Holy _shit,_ what the hell happened to me?"

His voice comes out squeaky, which makes him repeat:

"Holy _shit_ what the hell happened to me?"

And then he realizes how insanely _naked_ he feels. How insanely _naked_ he _is_.

Clothes—bigger than him—lie, pooled around his form. The sight makes his eyes widen, but he does not allow it to bother him just yet. He stands up, staggering ungracefully at how the world tilts, and curses. A small part of his brain castigates him about cursing which is insane, really, and more than a little bit odd since he _has_ cursed quite expletively under his breath on various occasions, and no part of his brain has _ever_ nudged him about it.

Realizing that he is getting a bit too engrossed in this particular train of thought, Tsuna manages to stand up on his two legs. The green smoke clears away, and he is met with the site of a broken desk and a world which seems bigger than what he is sure it should be. Or was.

He adds two and two pretty fast and comes to a panicked four. He stares at his tiny palm for a good two seconds, before rushing to the mirror in his office, only to stamp his foot in blatant annoyance when he realizes that, given his height, he can't _reach_ the mirror _._

"You're kidding me," he murmurs under his breath, grimacing at how childish he sounds.

He knows he is supposed to freak out over the current predicament so he does just that. He doesn't scream like his younger self would have, but simply freezes, eyes wide. _This_ is not a favorable situation, considering _who_ he is. He is the Neo Vongola Primo, for Heaven's sake; people are after him, after his life, after his _family's life._ Being stuck in a body of a toddler certainly won't help him to fend off his enemies, protect his _family._ The fear that seizes him makes it difficult for him to breathe.

Yes, Vongola is currently both a legal and a mafia syndicate, but _that doesn't matter._ It still has enemies. Sure, it is stronger and larger than what it has _ever_ been, but people still want to eradicate it. Not every Famiglia is happy with the new and comparatively brighter road the Vongola has taken, not _every_ Famiglia wants to see the Vongola prosper in the direction it _is_ prospering. If his current situation manages to leak out, there _will_ be chaos. People want him dead. People want him _even deader_ than Xanxus does when the man is particularly furious, and _that_ should mean _something._ Enemies will come, bombarding the Vongola mercilessly; despite knowing that his Guardians are enough to stop the attritions, one can never be sure. Battles aren't predictable, after all. One single, seemingly innocuous mistake might shatter everything, ruin and destroy countless of lives.

With admittedly morbid thoughts revolving ceaselessly in his mind, Tsuna takes a few seconds to realize Spanner's and Shoichi's entry. It is not until Shoichi is freaking out over him, repeating "Tsuna-kun!" hysterically over and over again, shaking Tsuna's smaller frame back and forth with more force than required whilst handling a _toddler_ , that Tsuna snaps out of his reverie.

His gaze meets the bespectacled man's, and then Spanner's.

' _They need me,'_ he thinks and calms down almost immediately at the thought, _'I can't panic_.'

"Calm down," Tsuna says placidly, smiling gently.

Shoichi stops trying to behead him by shaking him like a rag doll. Spanner's tensed shoulders ease just a little, but that's enough.

"What happened?" Tsuna asks next, because details are _important._ They make a hell and heaven difference when in battles, after all. As Spanner starts, Tsua walks up to his fallen suit, fishing out the currently large, crisped shirt belonging to a brand Tsuna doubts he has any interest in knowing. He wraps the material around his form; despite the length and the obvious disadvantage of being unable to walk properly, at least he is not nude anymore.

"We're not sure, exactly," Spanner starts, sounding uncertain, "There was some technical glitch— _perhaps_ , I am not sure, but everything went—"

"Tenth!"

At this exact moment, the door bursts open. Tsuna starts, nearly jumping out of his clothes (literally). Spanner and Shoichi yelp in morbidity, and Tsuna gives them sympathizing looks, promising without words that he will be keeping them safe from his Storm so _no worries._ Despite Hayato's sudden outburst which usually promises a string of curses when enemies are after Tsuna's life _yet again_ , the bomber simply… pauses. And gapes.

Tsuna lets Hayato gape. Hayato's mind, the brunette feels, needs to get accustomed to seeing Tsuna as a toddler.

Hayato, evidently after having been accustomed, _still_ doesn't say anything. Finally, the bomber sighs, walks up to Tsuna and scoops the brunette up.

"Is that you, Tenth?" Hayato asks slowly, gently.

Hayato uses 'Tenth' with a little bit of hesitation. Tsuna can only think of one reason for that—Hayato is trying to make sure whether Tsuna is currently the victim of the ten-year-old-bazooka-gone-haywire or something else entirely.

Tsuna nods, "Yeah, it's me, Hayato."

Hayato breathes out in relief. He then _glares_ at the other two occupants of the room and, if it isn't for the fact that he is holding Tsuna securely in his arms, Tsuna has a distinct feeling that dynamites would be clasped in the other's hands now, Vongola Gear alive and kicking.

"Its _fine,_ " Tsuna says, fondly exasperated, " _I'm_ fine."

Besides, the ones who are freaking out more than Tsuna at _Tsuna's_ current predicament are obviously Hayato, Shoichi and Spanner. And Tsuna is pretty sure that it isn't because they are worrying over Vongola's fate in the future. It's a bit endearing, and it makes Tsuna feel safe, but not really something Tsuna needs right now.

Hayato's eyes soften, and the intensity of the glare reduces considerably. Spanner and Shoichi sigh in relief.

"What happened?" Tsuna asks the two, shifting uncomfortably on Hayato's arms, "You can put me down, by the way."

Hayato shakes his head firmly, "Not now. I'll take you to the bed first, Tenth. Speaking of, you need to rest—suddenly turning into a toddler must have been a shock to you."

Tsuna tries opening his mouth to protest, but a swift berating look from Hayato makes the brunette pause. Tsuna grumbles. He can't deny that he _is_ shocked and more than a little bit sleepy; not because of the pain he had felt, but rather, he guesses, because of a side effect caused by his current predicament. Hayato looks satisfied at how Tsuna relents.

"I'll brief you on what has happened after asking the two. And I'll tell the others—"

"Not now," Tsuna interrupts. He pauses and says, "At least not to Rokudo, Dokuro, Takeshi and Ryohei-nii yet. They've been sent to their missions, and the last thing I want is for them to worry about me _now,_ " he sighs and leans back, resting his head against Hayato's chest. It's comforting, and though he'd rather spend the entire day in his Right Hand's arms, he knows that Hayato has work to do; Tsuna doesn't want to be selfish, after all. Shifting again, forcing his eyes to remain open, willpower battling against sleep, Tsuna continues, "You can tell the ones who are not on missions, though."

Hayato nods and then hesitates, "Even Reborn-san?"

Tsuna hums under his breath, "Its better if he sees the situation I am in _while_ I am awake. I'm pretty sure he won't be too pleased and that's the last thing anybody wants when Reborn is concerned. He's going to come back by six, right? Hopefully I'll be awake by then."

Hayato nods again, making sure that his hold on Tsuna is firm. He gives a stern look towards Spanner and Shoichi which makes Tsuna shoot a warning _'stop bullying them'_ look.

"Find out what happened. I'll be hearing from you two later," Hayato says.

"Of course," Shoichi agrees. His eyes dart towards Tsuna, guilt ridden, "I'm really sorry, Tsuna-kun."

Tsuna shrugs and waves his hand. He is aware (from Spanner's little chuckle) that the arm-wave looked ridiculous since the sleeves of his shirt, draped over each arm, are too long; though Tsuna would have normally given a petulant huff at that, he feels too sleepy to even care.

He slides his eyes close.

* * *

Given the sheer need to sleep forever and ever, Tsuna is a little surprised when he wakes up after merely four hours of sleep. He sees the ceiling first, then the unmoving fan and then, finally, Maria, one of the maids, standing by the side of the bed. For a second he kids himself to believe that his body turning into a toddler's was nothing but a dream his stress laden brain had fabricated, but his Intuition lightly reprimands him for having such childish thoughts. Tsuna glares a little at the ceiling, and then sighs.

"Maria," he greets, yawning.

Maria's response is hesitant, "…Decimo?"

"One and only and I think I've told _everybody_ to call me Tsuna," Tsuna says with a smile, sitting up. Pain shoots up and down his entire body, and he _yelps._

He clamps his mouth shut, eyes wide at the sudden response to pain. He has easily gone through _much worse,_ so why is he yelling now?

"Are you alright, Decimo?" even whilst asking this, Maria already has a hand on his back, evidently trying to make him relax. Tsuna vaguely registers how large Maria's hand is against his back.

"I'm fine," Tsuna breathes out, "I'm not used to this body yet, I guess."

Maria nods, enquiring, "Would you like me to make something for you, Decimo?"

" _Tsuna,_ " Tsuna insists, "And if you don't listen to me, I _will_ fire you."

"Will coffee be alright, Decimo?" Maria asks, ignoring Tsuna's insistence.

Tsuna stares at her and then grumbles lightly under his breath, "Doesn't being the Boss mean _anything_ here?"

Maria chuckles a little under her breath, heading towards the door of Tsuna's room, "Coffee it is, then."

Tsuna watches her go, straining his ears. Once he can't hear her receding footsteps anymore, Tsuna hops down from the bed, landing on both feet uncertainly. Pain shoots up the limbs, and though the urge to scream arises, he refrains, shutting his eyes in annoyance. He takes a step, then another and another, wobbly, unsure, cursing under his breath when he loses his balance and falls, face-first, as an undignified heap on the ground. He uses his arms to pick himself up, sighing in frustration, only to land on his back.

Great. Not only is he super short, he can't even _fight_ since he can't fucking _walk._

' _If something happens,'_ Tsuna thinks, _'what the hell will I be able to do?'_

Before he can muse some more, the door creaks open. Without even having to shift his gaze from the ceiling, Tsuna knows that the people who have arrived are Lambo and Hayato.

"Woa, Hayato-nii, you weren't even kidding," Tsuna hears Lambo inform Hayato. As an afterthought, he adds, "You're tiny, onii-chan."

Tsuna manages to get up to his feet. Hayato immediately seizes him and puts him gently on the bed; Tsuna can't help but feel embarrassed. Not only does he resemble a toddler, he's being treated as one already.

"Of course I wasn't kidding," Hayato says in an offended manner.

He has every right to be, Tsuna muses, given how Hayato is…well, _Hayato._

"Lambo," Tsuna greets his younger brother with a happy smile. He hasn't seen Lambo for two days now, seeing that he had been on a mission in South Italy. Tsuna can't recall which place, exactly, though, which is a little worrying given his mother hen tendencies.

"Hey, onii-chan!" Lambo greets him jubilantly, smiling widely. He grabs Tsuna by the waist and lifts him up into the air, ignoring Hayato's hissing protest and Tsuna's gasp of surprise.

"Lambo!" Tsuna all but shrieks (and then winces at the pitch of his voice), horrified, because nobody has _ever_ done this to him. His father had never been home, too busy doing clandestine operations to bother with anything, and his mother never had enough time to play with him, busy taking care of the house thanks to Iemitsu's constant absence from their lives. Besides, Tsuna had always been an introvert, even as a child.

That aside, Tsuna's twenty four now and being lifted up into the air is _embarrassing._

"Aw, you look so cute!" the fifteen year old exclaims, "What's your age now? Five? Six?"

"I think six is correct," Hayato almost snaps, hastily (yet gently, because it is Tsuna) prying Tsuna from Lambo's grasp. He lays Tsuna gently on the bed, tucking him in, ignoring Lambo's pout.

"Do you want to rest, Tenth?" Hayato asks.

Tsuna shakes his head, yawning and stretching.

"Not really," the brunette says, "I don't feel tired. Much."

He lies back on his bed as Lambo takes a seat near his legs.

"You look cute," Lambo acknowledges, "Not as cute as me when I was six, but close enough."

Tsuna gives Lambo a dry smile, unable to hide a laugh a moment later.

" _Of course_ I don't," Tsuna says.

"Hardly," Hayato interrupts, "Tenth looks far cuter than you, you idiot. You were a snotty brat. Not to mention _loud_."

"Yeah, look who's talking," Lambo drawls.

"Shut up," Hayato scoffs, "You were the shrillest kid in Namimori. I was fourteen—a guy can't be _shrill_ when he is fourteen, you idiot."

"Onii-chan was shrill when _he_ was fourteen, Hayato-nii. Weren't you, onii-chan?"

Lambo has a point. Tsuna had hit puberty pretty late, leaving him with a shrill voice (only when compared to other boys his age) during the majority of his teenage years. Puberty has, evidently, done wonders.

Tsuna nods but adds, "But I was an exception."

"See!" Hayato says gleefully, "Even the Tenth agrees!"

Tsuna isn't sure what he has agreed to, but his thoughts come to an abrupt halt when Maria enters the room with a polite knock. She has with her a tray upon which is a cup of coffee. Since the entire staff is aware how Tsuna prefers his coffee— warm, with a single cube of sugar—no separate bowl is present with cubes of sugar.

She comes and places it by Tsuna's thigh. With unconcealed glee, Tsuna grabs at the handle of the cup. He tips the cup to his lips, only to have it snatched away from him the moment the liquid nearly touches his tongue.

"Hayato!" Tsuna protests.

"No can do," Hayato says, placing the cup on the tray and handing it back to Maria. At her and Tsuna's bewildered expressions, Hayato explains, "You're _six,_ Tenth. Biologically speaking, of course. I'm not sure it's safe to consume coffee at such a young age."

"Of course its fine!" Tsuna says hurriedly, making a desperate motion for the cup, "Give it back to me, Maria!"

"I think Mr. Gokudera is right, Decimo," Maria says contemplatively.

"No, no, he's _wrong!_ Terribly wrong!"

But Maria is already exiting and Tsuna wants to shriek. Not only is he a _kid,_ he can't even have coffee!

"Hayato, I _order_ you to allow me to have coffee," Tsuna says sternly.

"That's not going to work on me, Tenth," Hayato says, smiling a little, "You know it won't."

Of course Tsuna knows _that._ It still doesn't hurt to try.

Lambo, whose eyes are bright and twinkling with barely concealed amusement, suddenly bursts out laughing. Tsuna offers him a half hearted glare, pouting.

"This is not fair," Tsuna murmurs.

"What's not fair?"

Tsuna recognizes the voice. How can he not? Its deep and almost unconsciously salacious and terribly tempting and if Tsuna hasn't been busy and _used to_ hiding his feelings from Reborn for almost a year and a half now, he is pretty sure he would have blurted something along the lines of 'I love you' or 'You're really sexy' or 'I _really_ want you' by now. As it is, his heart, traitorous that it is, skips a beat and his stomach is filled with familiar yet unhelpful butterflies.

He's not even surprised at his own reaction. It has been a thing with his body for a pretty long time.

At least he has mastered the art of not blushing. It's a good thing that he is good at _pretending_ to be phlegmatic when situations call for it.

"Reborn!" Tsuna greets with a happy grin.

Reborn pauses for barely a second by the door, eyes widening a little in surprise. To anyone else the twenty seven year old looks nonchalant as he saunters in, but Tsuna has known and has _been_ beside Reborn to recognize unobtrusive little differences.

"I'm a kid," Tsuna says, gesturing towards his own body, "Surprised?"

Tsuna does not even bother to dodge the boomerang Reborn sends towards him. Again, he's pretty used to it.

* * *

 **I should probably mention this—nothing…well, expletive is going to happen between Tsuna and Reborn whilst Tsuna is a** _ **kid**_ **because I'm not fond of shota (even though mentally speaking Tsuna's twenty four and all). Like, at all. Hell, there won't even be kisses or anything of that sort while Tsuna's a fluffy little six year old.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I love the reviews you guys fed me with! Thank you so much! :D**

 **Chapter 2's up! Enjoy! :D**

* * *

"I leave you alone for _two_ days," Reborn says after Hayato and Lambo leave, "and _this_ is what you end up doing to yourself."

The word 'this' is followed by a pointed look at Tsuna's six year old body.

Tsuna bristles at the unsolicited reminder but sighs in despondence all the same.

"It's not that I _wanted_ to be a six year old," Tsuna huffs out somewhat petulantly. The action suits him now, too, and makes him look especially endearing, what with how a cheek, almost frighteningly _involuntarily_ ,puffs out.

And, as for his own reply, Tsuna is aware how stupid he sounds. He hadn't wanted to be the Decimo, either, but look where he is right now. Tsuna sucks his cheek back in and stops pouting, a little disturbed. His transition from not-yet-Decimo to Decimo is not exactly something he wishes to recall since the incidents leading to that are particularly painful. He'd rather not think about it now.

"Well, you did not want to be the Neo Vongola Primo, either, but look where you are," Reborn, ever the mind reader, reminds him.

Tsuna says nothing to that, deciding to change the topic. He does that often when Reborn is around.

"I need you to train me," Tsuna tells Reborn seriously.

" _Of course_ you need me to train you, you idiot," Reborn says exasperatedly, "Don't state the obvious, Tsuna."

It is terribly annoying when Reborn does that—his voice modulation in such situations gives off the impression that Tsuna is a horrifyingly stupid child. Which he is not, by the way. The 'stupid' part, not the 'child' part. Even so, Tsuna reflects, he has really been missing their constant battle of words. This is the first time Tsuna is seeing Reborn in three weeks—he has missed him more than he likes to admit. More than he _wishes_ to admit, rather, since his feelings for the hitman are not exactly platonic.

' _The heart wants what the heart wants,'_ Tsuna thinks with a small sigh, _'Not that it matters, at any rate. And now I'm deviating.'_

"Yes, yes, we all know how woeful you are," Reborn says as an answer to Tsuna's sigh, "Stop dilly dallying, when do we start?"

"Today," Tsuna replies immediately, "and—"

"Of course not _today_ ," Reborn interrupts, "Are you an idiot? Given your…condition, you need a day's rest."

Tsuna's eyes narrow down stubbornly, "Well, I don't have _time_ to rest—"

"Of course you do. Don't be reckless, Tsuna. If you start training when you're sore, you'll simply be walking two steps back for each step you walk forward."

"I am not _sore—_ "

Reborn snorts, "Yeah, right. I can see pain when _see_ pain. And you're _definitely_ feeling pain."

Tsuna opens his mouth to rebut, but shuts his it a second later. His failed attempt at walking in a dignified manner _has_ left him really, really sore; Reborn's attack with boomerang-Leon certainly has not helped matter any. Reborn has a point like he almost always does.

"You're also at fault, just so you know," Tsuna bites out, rubbing the spot on his Leon had hit him.

"You deserved it," Reborn says simply.

* * *

Reborn leaves Tsuna an hour later and heads for the science building, where Shoichi, Spanner and Giannini find their solace in. Personally, Reborn likes the place. It's spacious, innovative and most of the things you find there have a very high chance of blowing up in your face. In simple words: fantastic.

Besides, Reborn has always liked Science. Of course he has—what with being one of the greatest scientists to ever live (under the pseudo name of Riboyama), he is bound to like Science. He may not be as great as Verde when creating weapons of mass destruction is concerned, but he is pretty damn good. And he's the strongest and the swiftest hitman to ever live, while Verde is less than average. Hell, the green-haired man's fighting skills are downright _pathetic._

Vongola's Science Department's building is shaped like a dome. A gigantic telescope is situated in the east side of the building, usually hidden from sight. The dome is white, and guarded twenty-four-seven by some of Vongola's strongest, finest and trusted—the few times enemy Famiglias had tried to break and enter the building to steal a few of Vongola's large array of secrets, they had had one of the worst moments of their lives.

After the guard at the entrance makes sure that the man with the fedora is, indeed, Reborn, he allows the hitman to pass through. Reborn does, and, not to his knowledge, is scanned thoroughly by various machines from all sides. Reborn enters the lobby and heads straight for the elevator. He heads for the third floor of the underground lab and steps out when the elevator doors slide open.

He is greeted by murmurs of "Reborn-san"s from people donned in lab coats from all sides, but Reborn pays them no mind and does not even nod to acknowledge their presence. He's not a friendly man by nature, after all.

He heads towards the metal plated door at the far end of the room. He presses his palm to the scanner and then, once two beeps indicate that the scanner has approved him for who he is, punches the required code. The door slides open much like the in-built locks of the door, and Reborn enters. The lab he enters is dimly lit—just the way Shoichi, Spanner and Giannini prefer it, apparently. The wall on the left hand side is occupied by large, thin screens which float in the air like holograms. There is a wide, long and elegantly curved desk with drawers (and chairs, of course) in front of the screens, scattered with notes, calculations and over-spilling and empty coffee mugs.

There are four occupants of the room now—Hayato, Shoichi, Spanner and Reborn, himself.

The three turn to greet the hitman with a laconic nod of the head. Spanner and Shoichi look particularly wary of Reborn and Leon, who, for the record, can turn into a gun at any given moment.

"Tsuna ordered me not to harm you two," Reborn smirks, "So I won't."

Spanner and Shoichi pretend that they haven't been worrying themselves about _that_ for the past six hours. Tsuna was very thorough while giving the definition of the word 'harm' when Reborn had mentioned his intention to visit the Science Department, much to Reborn's disappointment.

"So, what's the deal?" Reborn digresses, "Be quick about it."

Shoichi immediately begins explaining, "Our system was hacked."

Reborn raises an incredulous eyebrow at that but says nothing, allowing Shoichi to continue.

"Well, when I say 'hacked'," Shoichi continues, "It was an inside job. From _within_ the Vongola. Tsunayoshi-kun was targeted, but I'm pretty sure that the spy's intention was not to turn Tsunayoshi-kun into a kid."

"Because there's no point in turning him into a kid: killing him would be easier," Hayato adds.

"I think the spy made a mistake—it's the only explanation. We tell our staff—only the very trusted ones, mind, Reborn-san—about whatever it is that we invent. What Tsunayoshi-kun was hit with is called _Piccolo_ —that being said, it wasn't our _intention_ to do make _Piccolo_ do what its name one might think suggests. It's purely coincidental, really, and it would have been funny if my Boss wasn't a kid right now," Shoichi gives a sad little sigh, running his hand through his red hair.

"So, what is _Piccolo's_ real intention, then?" Reborn asks, though he is pretty sure what the answer is.

"To kill people, basically. It leaves no trace behind—it is kind of wonderful, really. Scientifically speaking, of course," Shoichi corrects himself, looking a bit sick at the thought of suggesting that he finds people dying anything near 'wonderful'.

"So was the _Piccolo_ that hit Tsuna malfunctioning?" Reborn asks, frowning a little at how Shoichi is being prudish.

"Yes. We knew about it, of course," Shoichi confirms.

"Which means," Hayato adds a little maniacally, "If the _Piccolo_ that had hit the Tenth _wasn't_ malfunctioning, the Tenth would have been _dead_ by now. And since he is notdead…you know what that means, don't you?"

"That the spy will try to kill my idiotic student again," Reborn answers. He inhales and shoves his hands inside his trouser's pockets, "We have a traitor in our midst. If their knowledge of the existence of _Piccolo_ is anything to go by, he or she is one of Vongola's trusted. Tsuna's not going to like _that._ "

There is a short, contemplative silence. There are many things Tsuna does not like about the Mafia and disloyalty and betrayal is one of them. Tsuna does not _understand_ betrayal, despite the number of times he has been backstabbed. Fact is, despite this, he takes betrayal in stride and keeps his head high even though a part of him breaks every time he sees his people turning their backs on him. However, when Vongola's future is concerned, Tsuna is really good at not allowing betrayals and spies and traitors to bring the Vongola down—it is one of the many reasons why Tsuna is feared in the Mafia despite his idiosyncratic views of peace and vigilantism.

"Well," Hayato breaks the silence, "there's no point in worrying over it now. We'll be protecting the Tenth, of course, and searching for the traitor at the same time. While you two," Hayato gives Shoichi and Spanner a mildly baleful look, having still not forgiven them for nearly being responsible for nearly killing Tsuna, "make sure that all the passwords are changed, firewalls put up. Hundred percent security, you hear me?"

The two engineers nod enthusiastically.

Hayato and Reborn leave, with Hayto adding, "You both _better_ be meticulous!" as they exit.

"I'll inform the Tenth about the spy," Hayato tells Reborn when they are out in the garden, heading towards the main mansion.

"Let him rest for now," Reborn says, "I'll tell him tomorrow. He wants me to—"

"Let me guess, train him?" Hayato asks resignedly.

"You know him well," Reborn smirks.

Years ago, Hayto's face would have flushed red with pride and exuberance at the obvious compliment. Now, though, he gives Reborn a sly look and a sly smile.

"Don't worry, Reborn-san, I'm sure you know him better than I do," Hayato says knowingly.

Reborn narrows his eyes, knowing very well what Hayato is getting at. Apparently, almost everybody Reborn associates himself with has been aware that Reborn has had a massive, three-year-long crush on his Boss even before _Reborn_ had been aware of his own feelings.

Yes, Reborn plans to do _something_ about it sooner rather than later, but he rather wishes to take his time and make sure that he does not end up screwing things up and destroying the current relationship they have. Tsuna is too precious to him, after all. He'd rather stay as Tsuna's ex-tutor, present-advisor and friend if the alternative is to have Tsuna dislike him. However, given Tsuna's bisexuality, Reborn is aware that he has a chance, never mind how thin it might be.

"Better not go there now, Hayato," Reborn tells the bomber warningly, his words otherwise meaning 'Shut up or you'll regret it'.

Hayato merely hums and smirks as a reply.

* * *

Haru enters Tsuna's room and the first thing she says is:

"Wow."

Tsuna, given that his eyes are covered by the shirt he is trying to pull over his body, can't see her. He recognizes Haru's voice, though, and hastily pulls his shirt over, cheeks reddening a little in embarrassment.

"Aw, Tsuna-san," Haru giggles, shutting the door behind her, amused, "There's no need to be so modest."

Tsuna shoots her a look, pouting even though he is pretty sure that pouting _hadn't_ been his intention.

"It's not funny, Haru," he says petulantly, destroying the pout that had formed itself involuntarily and inexplicably on his lips. And, really, it is _not_ funny. Despite being one of the most feared Bosses of the Mafia, Tsuna is _still_ shy and terribly modest. And, fine, maybe he is a kid which is why being half naked around a girl is not that big of a deal, but his mind is still of someone in his early twenties.

"Of course it is, Tsuna-san," Haru says happily, coming closer to Tsuna so that her hand is on his head. She ruffles his hair with affection.

Tsuna almost considers batting her hand away in petulance, but, frankly, he is actually enjoying the way her fingers are carding through his hair. It's relaxing—and relaxation is what he desperately needs right now.

' _Once I'm normal,'_ Tsuna thinks, _'I'll take a break. A vacation would be nice. Christmas is coming in a month, anyway.'_

"You were not supposed to return until tomorrow," Tsuna says languidly, "What happened?"

"We got the contract earlier than we expected," Haru replies, "The Salvor were very eager to be under Vongola's protection, apparently. Not really surprising—they are one of the weakest Famiglias after all."

"That's good. Where's Kyoko-chan?"

"She stopped by the cake shop while returning."

"Again?" Tsuna asks in morbid fascination.

Haru laughs, "Don't get in between a girl and her cake, Tsuna-san. You'll regret it."

Tsuna grins, "Point duly noted."

"How did you become a kid, Tsuna-san?" Haru asks, genuinely curious, "Not that I mind, by the way. You're adorable."

"I got hit by a missile from the Science Department," Tsuna explains. At Haru's horrified expression, he gives a reassuring smile, "Well, I think a spy was responsible. They probably got into the Vongola's system from within."

Haru raises an eyebrow disbelievingly, "A spy? How do you know that?"

"It's the only explanation," Tsuna replies with a shrug, "With Shoichi and Spanner manning the computers, there _can't_ be a 'glitch' in the system. They are impeccable, after all."

Haru nods understandingly. Shoichi and Spanner are experts—with Verde helping them and tutoring them (without acknowledging the fact that he tutors them, of course) on a regular basis, the Vongola's system is nothing short of being infallible and invincible. And, no, Tsuna is not exaggerating. It's a fact.

"So you're in danger," Haru says seriously.

Tsuna nods, "Again. Not surprising."

Haru gives a worried frown to which Tsuna shakes his head.

"You don't have to worry about it now, Haru. You should rest," Tsuna says gently.

"Easy for you to say that, Tsuna-san," Haru gives a small sigh while getting up, "You can't expect me to _not_ worry. Kyoko's going to worry, too."

Tsuna squirms a little guiltily, "I'll be _fine_."

Haru smiles at him, "Well, I'll be in Kyoko's room if you need anything."

Tsuna nods, watching her go. Kyoko and Haru have been lovers for around five years now and sometimes Tsuna can't help but wonder why they don't get a room together already, seeing that Haru spends a majority of her time in Kyoko's room rather than her own. Then again, it doesn't really matter, Tsuna supposes. They _are_ lovers, after all.

Tsuna lies down on his bed, bored out of his mind yet sleepy at the same time. He shuts his eyes and thinks about Haru's relationship with Kyoko, feeling a pang of jealousy and longing. He wishes to have someone love him as a lover, too. Tsuna had dated Kyoko briefly at the age of sixteen, only to break up a few weeks later, two days after he had kissed Kyoko for the first time. If anything, the kiss had been awkwardand, well, _weird_ —not because it was his first kiss but because it had been with Kyoko.

Unconsciously, Tsuna had started viewing Kyoko as a sister rather than a crush. It had taken him a day after the kiss to realize that, but when he did, he had freaked out completely. What was he supposed to _tell_ her? He had not wanted to hurt her. She was too precious to him, after all.

Needless to say, when Kyoko had approached him with a contrite request to break up, Tsuna had heaved a glad sigh and agreed enthusiastically. They had laughed when they realized that the reason for wanting to put their ostensible 'intimate' relationship to a halt was because they viewed each other as siblings.

Tsuna still suspects that the only reason Ryohei has not killed him for breaking up with Kyoko was because Kyoko had not been hurt at all. In fact, she had seemed positively giddy after breaking up with Tsuna. Tsuna supposes he should have felt insulted at Kyoko's obvious display of happiness, but, even now, he can't find himself to be.

It is two minutes later that he senses Kyoya's presence and rolls out of the bed the moment a silver tonfa slams on the pillow his head had been resting on. He lands on the floor with a pained 'mmmph!', but does not let it distract him in any way. Kyoya is after his life now. Tsuna stands up quickly and jumps out of the way when Kyoya leaps towards him from the bed. Th Cloud Guardian does not bother landing on his feet—instead, his right palm touches the floor softly, and he pushes himself to the side so that Tsuna gains no time to make an escape.

Tsuna manages to escape Kyoya's kick, anyway. His eyes lock with gray ones as leaps back. The moment his feet touch the ground and he skids to a halt, pain explodes and rings in his entire body. He grits his teeth, being inconspicuous about the action because Tsuna knows that Kyoya despises it when he shows weakness over something so small.

Their eye contact has not broken yet. Kyoya's look is sharp, cool and appraising; Tsuna's is that of a leader—determined, calm, _daring_ the other to disobey and attack again.

Kyoya is the first to break the eye contact, brushing a bit of nonexistent dirt from his suit, insouciant.

"I heard what happened to you," he says, a little sneeringly, a little amusedly, "You've not lost your touch."

"Neither have you, Kyoya," Tsuna says, lips curling up to form a mindless little genuine smile, body relaxing, "It's good to see you again," he says warmly.

Kyoya grunts as a reply and turns around to exit Tsuna's room.

"My report is on your desk," Kyoya informs him and leaves.

Tsuna nods even though Kyoya can't see him. He clambers back to his bed and gives a groan of despair when he notices that his bed is broken.

' _Thank you, Kyoya,'_ Tsuna thinks sarcastically, _'Just what I needed.'_

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